Window cleaner



Aug, 24, 1954 J. H. ALMLOF WINDOW CLEANER Filed Feb. 20, 1950 INVENTOR.

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Patented Aug. 24, 1954 UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE WINDOW CLEANER John Harald Almlof, Val-berg, Sweden Application February 20, 1950, Serial No. 145,118

Claims priority, application Sweden February 26, 1949 1 Claim.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in window cleaners.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device which will primarily facilitate the cleaning of a window pane without the necessity of a washing of the same.

Another object of my nvention is to provide a device which will remove microscopical dust and other particles from a window pane thus effectin a cleaning and shining of the surface of the pane.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device for cleaning window panes which is cheap in manufacture and easy to handle.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention essentially consists therein that the cleaner is a hand cleaner or plane device to plane the pane by means of a thin flexibl knife blade elastically carried by a handle in such a way that the knife blade will bend and follow close to the concave shape of the pane caused by the knife pressure.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the forward end of the device as applied to a pane, shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the forward end of the device seen from above and applied against a pane;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the forward end of the device another embodiment; and

Fig. 6 is a similar cross sectional view of the same with a cover plate in changed position.

The device consists of a knife support plate I provided with a handle, the support plate carrying a thin flexible knife blade 3 along a cross directed front edge 2 so that the device ha a plane-like shape. Said edge portion 2 is preferably chamfered as seen in Fig. 3, the knife edge extendin beyond the support edge in parallelism therewith. The knife is protected by a cover plate 6 and between the knife and this cover plate there are inserted one or more elastic members, springs, rubber members or such like, preferably a rubber band 5, the knife, rubber band and cover plate being held in position on the support plate by means of nut-provided screws 4 attached to the support plate. The cover plate extends somewhat beyond the knife edge and is here bent backwards from the knife in order not to be a hindrance, during the planing work against the window pane 1, for the elastic knife edge which is bent back in a curve from side edge to side edge transversely of the planing directlon. The cover plate also serves as a stopper against the window sash protecting the knife edge. The rubber band 5 does not extend forward to said knife edge but leaves the same free in the same way as the support plate edge as seen in Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 4 the side edge portions of the cover plate ii are plane and extend beyond the side edges of the knife blade to protect the hand of the operator from contact with the thin knife. In the embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6 said side edge portions 9, ID of the cover plate are bent down to cover the side edges of the blade. Furthermore the back edge 8 0f the cover plate also is bent down in such a way that said back edge, serving as front edge when the cover plate is turned as seen in Fig. 6, will protect the front edge of the knife from contact with the hand when the cleaner is not in use.

When in use to clean a window pane the cleaner is moved along the pane like a hand plane. By the pressure of the knife against the pane the surface of the pan will be slightly concave but the knife blade will thoroughly follow the pane curve as seen in Fig. 4 on account of the flexibility and the elastic resting on the rubber band. During the cleaning the pane may preferably be in a dry state.

Because of the plane-like movement the knife blade cuts off all dirt and dust from the pane surface and it is found that the pane is bright, transparent and lustrous without any polishing. Microscopical particles on the pane surface are out off and as a result it is more difficult for dust and rain to adhere to the pane, and the cleanliness will last longer. No washing and polishing of the window pane is necessary, and the work keeping the pane clean is much easier.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A window cleaner consisting of a hand plane device to clean the pane during a planing movement along the same comprising a handle-provided support plate, a thin plane flexible knife blade arranged on the plate and having a razor- 3 blade-like outer edge cross-directed in reference to the planing direction and extending beyond the outer edge of the support plate, a rubber plate comparatively thick with regard to the thinness of th knife removably resting on the upper surface of the knife and yielding to a bending of the knife blade, the bending shape of the blade transmitting itself into the range of the rubber plate as the edge bends along a curve following closely to the concave shape of the pane caused by the knife pressure, a cover plate positioned on the upper side of the rubber plate and extending somewhat beyond the cutting edge of the blade and bent away from said rubber plate and blade to permit the blade to flex into the range of the rubber plate as stated, the support plate, the blade and the rubber plate having registering openings therein, screws common to all the parts passing through corresponding registering openings in the support plate, the knife blade as well as the rubber and cover plates to detachably hold the parts assembled in stationary positions in reference to each other, the side edges of the cover plate being bent down to protect the side edges of the knife and the back edge of the cover plate being bent down, together with the sides of the cover plate giving the cover plate the shape of a bowl with the front wall missing, and the back edge of the cover plate serving as a complete knife edge protector when the cover plate is turned around and held in such position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,532,570 Basmaison Apr. 7, 1925 1,610,352 Bergman Dec. 14, 19 6 1,969,785 Eisenberg Aug. 14, 1934 2,122,263 Pinter June 28, 1938 2,202,264 Peterson May 28, 1940 2,257,314 Shinn, Jr Sept. 30, 1941 

